DisasterTech Hackathon to Honor Hurricane Katrina

A photo of New Orleans, La., on Sept. 14, 2005, two weeks after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city. Direct damage to the city was estimated at $80 billion and the city's loss continues at an estimated $15 billion in GDP per year.
FEMA/Bob McMillan

Civic hackers in New Orleans will commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by pitting their coding skills against the world’s worst natural disasters.

On Feb. 7-8, the International Disaster Conference & EXPO (IDCE) will host the #DisasterTech Hackathon, an event that partners first-hand input from emergency responders with the tech-savvy skills of civic technologists. Possible apps and digital solutions will be tailored to such topics as public engagement, volunteerism, disaster preparedness and community resilience. Key to the two-day event is an emphasis on using information in new ways and through new channels — communication tactics that enable faster decision-making during crisis.

The impetus behind the event, to be coordinated by hackathon organizer "CODEMKRS," is to facilitate partnerships between the tech community and first responders who don't always have access to digital talent. Some of these challenges, according to the IDCE, are gaps centered in research needs, tech development, implementation and proper evaluation.

Attendees are expected to design working prototypes for their disaster solutions and present them to a panel of judges consisting of tech innovators and government leaders within local, state and federal jurisdictions. On Feb. 11, winners will be recognized with awards and prizes — to be released soon.